Southern San Joaquin Valley Cal-SOAP Staff are available, Remotely (Now with VIRTUAL LOBBY!)
The Bakersfield College campuses are closed, but our staff are still available for you! We are working remotely during regular office hours. If you need assistance with general questions, send an email to calsoap@bakersfieldcollege.edu. For efficient service, please remember to include your full name, student 6-digit ID number, high school, topic, and your question/concern.
Prefer face-to-face? We have a Virtual Lobby! Visit us Monday - Thursday, 7:30 am-5:00 pm by using the Zoom link below to speak with a student employee "in-person".
Visit Virtual Lobby (Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
Helping Students Attend College Since 2000
Since its inception in 1978, the California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) has focused on increasing the availability of information and improving college access to postsecondary education for historically underserved student populations by creating a college-going culture, focusing on financial aid application completion, and coordinating college outreach efforts. Cal-SOAP is California’s college and financial aid experts administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), representing all systems of higher education.
Mission
Cal-SOAP is designed to increase the accessibility of postsecondary educational opportunities and financial aid for students from underserved communities who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- First in their family to attend college
- Come from a low income family
- Live in a geographic area with documented low postsecondary education eligibility or participation rates
- Current and former foster youth
- Current and former homeless youth or at risk of becoming homeless
- Mixed immigration status households or who themselves are immigrants
- Identifies as being LGBTQ+
- Students who have a disability
- Part of a historically minority group
Other 14 Cal-SOAP Programs in California
- Eureka - Northcoast Consortium
- Gilroy - South County Gilroy Consortium
- Los Angeles - Los Angeles Consortium
- Long Beach - Greater Long Beach Regional Consortium
- Marysville - North Valley Consortium
- Merced - Merced Consortium
- Oakland - East Bay Consortium
- Sacramento - Sacramento Consortium
- San Diego - San Diego and Imperial Counties Cal-SOAP Consortium
- San Francisco - San Francisco Consortium
- San Jose - San Jose Consortium
- Santa Maria - Central Coast Consortium
- Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Consortium
- Solano County - Success Consortium
Southern San Joaquin Valley Cal-SOAP Consortium
The Southern San Joaquin Valley Cal-SOAP Consortium was established in 2000 and serves approximately 38,000 students in the Southern San Joaquin Valley area. We also help organize several college outreach events for all Kern County students. The partners comprising our consortium include the following:
Public Universities
- California State University, Bakersfield
- University of California, Merced
Private Universities
- University of La Verne, Kern County Campus
Community Colleges
District Office
High Schools
Accessibility Center